1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates generally to three-dimensional containers, and relates more particularly to an economical open-sided carton which serves as a convenient desktop book storage unit. The invention is specifically directed to a one-piece, two dimensional production blank, which can be folded into such a storage unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Art dated as early as the 1930s describes three-dimensional containers, boxes, display cases, and other types of cartons of various shapes, sizes, configurations, and purposes, formed from two-dimensional foldable blanks. Such art provides a variety of features, including protective coatings, multiple storage compartments, hinged tops, multi-thickness wall structure for enhanced stacking capability, interior channel and box beam structural enforcement, and exterior apertures for receiving insert labels.
A wide variety of patents have been granted for these cartons of many sizes, shapes, configurations, and uses produced by folding two-dimensional blanks. It is generally quite non-obvious from the two-dimensional blank how the resulting carton will look, or what its particular function or qualities may be. In addition, a wide variety of such foldable blanks, and the resulting cartons, have been considered novel, perhaps due to the fact that brand new two-dimensional blank geometries have been designed, leading to new forms of cartons and containers with functionally appropriate structure and features.
Like the foldable blanks from which such cartons are produced, two-dimensional, foldable paper book covers are also available for adapting to books of various dimensions. Such book covers are very inexpensive, readily available in the consumer marketplace, and are often colorfully decorated either by the manufacturer or by the consumer.
Standard bookcases are commonplace as fixed storage units for books in the home or office. Such bookcases vary in size, but are typically built of rigid structural materials like wood or metal, large enough to accommodate many books, and often cumbersome to move, especially when filled with books. Conversely, bookends are available to hold a small number of books on a desktop, but bookends tend to slide apart, allowing the books to fall over, especially when one or more books is removed.
A product which is not yet in existence is a small, inexpensive, portable desktop bookcase, which could be purchased as a two-dimensional blank, folded into a suitable open-sided book storage unit, decorated to suit the consumer, and employed to securely hold a small number of books on the desktop, as well as to carry the books from place to place when transportation becomes necessary.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an open-sided carton which serves as a convenient desktop book storage unit.
It is another object of the invention to provide a book storage unit which is inexpensive, easy to assemble, portable, and small enough to fit on a desk.
It is additionally an object of the invention to provide a carton of this character formed from a single blank of suitable cardboard or like material, foldable to form a simple, strong, economical and practical book storage unit for the purpose described.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiment, when taken together with the accompanying drawings.
The subject invention is an inexpensive, portable desktop bookcase. The bookcase consists of an open-sided carton suitable for holding a small number of books, so that they are kept together on the desktop, conveniently accessible, removable and replaceable. The carton is formed from folding a two-dimensional production blank, resulting in a storage unit which is suitable for its desktop purpose, as well as for transporting books from one location to another. Further design features include structural stiffeners, button-hole flap assembly, adhesives, and accommodations for individual decoration and personalization (e.g. by children). Likewise, further applications include the storage of compact disks (e.g. for music or computer software), kitchen spices, garage containers (e.g. boxes of nails), cassette tapes, video cassette recorder videotapes, or other objects of similar size and shape. The carton can also serve as an open display case for these types of items, or other items of like dimensions.